Earth-boring tools employing cutting elements such as polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters have been employed for several decades. PDC cutters are conventionally comprised of a disc-shaped diamond table formed on and bonded (under ultra-high pressure, ultra-high temperature conditions) to a supporting substrate such as a substrate comprising cemented tungsten carbide, although other configurations are generally known in the art. Rotary drill bits carrying PDC cutters, also known as so-called “fixed-cutter” drag bits, have proven very effective in achieving high rates of penetration (ROP) in drilling subterranean formations exhibiting low to medium hardness.
PDC cutters are typically laid out on a rotary drill bit either in a reverse spiral configuration that follows the rotational direction of the rotary drill bit or in a forward spiral configuration that opposes the rotational direction of the rotary drill bit, with PDC cutters having the most similar loading positioned proximate one another. However, such configurations can produce problems during use and operation of the rotary drill bit, such as an uneven distribution of forces on the rotary drill bit during drilling operations, resulting in rotary drill bit instability and vibration, an uneven damage (e.g., dulling) distribution to the PDC cutters, and a reduced operational life of the rotary drill bit. For example, during drilling operations closely grouped leading PDC cutters of a reverse spiral configuration may endure the greatest forces (e.g., during initial contact with subterranean formation material, during transitions between relatively softer subterranean formation material and a relatively harder subterranean formation material, etc.), resulting in force imbalances across the rotary drill bit (and, hence, rotary drill bit instability and vibrations) as well as progressively greater amounts of damage to trailing PDC cutters of the reverse spiral configuration.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have earth-boring tools (e.g., rotary drill bits), methods of forming earth-boring tools, and methods of forming a borehole in a subterranean formation facilitating enhanced stability, improved damage distribution, and prolonged operational life during drilling operations as compared to conventional earth-boring tools, methods of forming earth-boring tools, and methods of forming a borehole in a subterranean formation.